Shark attack halts Australia surf competition

"I$3 saw the guy who had been attacked get separated from the [surf] board and then start to paddle for an inside wave, which he managed to body surf all the way in", he said.

Surf Life Saving WA had noted several sightings of sharks in the area, including a four-metre shark off Lefthanders, near where the attack happened, this morning.

Paige Hareb was one of the first surfers back in the water after an hour delay due to a nearby shark attack.

With all eyes on the nearby contest at Margaret River, WSL officials chose to put the event on hold-and considering Mick Fanning's close call at the J-Bay Open in 2015, it seems like a good call.

The league added: "Surfer and staff safety are top priorities for the WSL and when competition resumes, further enhanced safety measures, including ski and drone presence, will be added to the event's mitigation protocols".

In a statement posted to its Facebook page following the incident, the WSL said it had made a decision to suspend the competition for an hour after "discussions with local authorities".

At 10am, the WSL said the competition would resume as normal. "There was a lot more thrashing around".

We have been alerted of a shark incident that occurred near Gracetown. "After that it was hard to see what was going on".

He said paramedics on the ground reported that first aid from the man's friends was crucial in the moments after the attack, as they used a leg rope to stem blood flow.

A spokeswoman for the event said the surf contest was under way at Margaret River's main break at the time of the attack.

A surfer has been left with serious injuries to both of his legs after being attacked by a shark off the coast of southwestern Australia.

The Department of Fisheries sent officers to investigate the incident.

Fanning survived after a shark lunged at him during a final at the Open World Surf League event in 2015.

"Sharks are still a threat to surfers and people in the ocean here", he told reporters.

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